Can any one recommend any effective software for controlling audits, documents etc.. I have been looking at Powerway, WorkBench Professional and Q-Pulse. Any comments would be appreciated.

Hi Joanne,
I can't comment on the others, but I would recommend Workbench pro. In addition to being easy to set-up & use, the support service (if you get any problems) is excellent.

Have you contacted Ideagen for a demo? I believe what swayed our decision to purchase was that Ideagen put us in touch with a "satisfied customer" and we were able to arrange a visit to seee it in action & to talk to users.

Hope this helps.

I've been the document control person for my company for about 5 years and have yet to find an all encompassing software to control documents.

Although somewhat labor intensive at first, I designed a document numbering system and control them through an "Access 2000" database. It is very flexible and can be integrated with "Outlook 2000" email for document routing and approval.

This system has been through 3 years of reg. and surv. audits with little problems.

If you have an "Access" person have them look into designing your own system. Give me a yell if I can be of help.

ASD...

It just so happens that I have developed and have used/implemented software for these areas with great success. I do sell canned versions of the software but also (not advertised on the website) I do customize it to fit any specific need required. I show 4 applications on the website but I have 13 that I use on a daily basis and demonstrate almost every aspect requried through these applications. Assessors have been impressed at the flexibility and information available and I have never had a problem.

I have worked with Powerway in the recent past and my company struggled using it… we hadn a LOT of problems getting the software to run right, and once that was fixed, we had trouble using the software.
Due to conflicts that Powerway had with our server, half the time we couldn’t even get into Powerway. In addition the software is not very intuitive, so people who didn’t use it often were confused. Both issues made it hard to get anyone to keep it logged on in their computer (which was the point of getting Powerway in the first place!)
For me as QAMgr I found it frustrating because I couldn’t import/export info such as corrective actions. You can’t export any documents written in Powerway, which made it hard to share info via email with anyone not connected directly to our server. Also, it creates flowcharts for you when you write any WI, but I found this to be more work than it was worth , because you have to follow a particular format for the chart to look right, so I had to spend too much time tweaking the WI just so the chart would look ok.
Overall, I found Powerway too rigid and constricting for my taste. Personally, I’d opt for an Access database or some other software that allows you to import/export information. I’d suggest you include ease of use and flexibility in your software evaluation criteria, because no matter what it promises, if its hard to use you’ll be wasting time & money. Good luck!

Originally posted by Joanne_Walker:
Can any one recommend any effective software for controlling audits, documents etc.. I have been looking at Powerway, WorkBench Professional and Q-Pulse. Any comments would be appreciated.

I would recommend that you have a look at Q-Pulse Version 4. Further details can be found at www.gaelquality.com (http://www.gaelquality.com)

Unlike most other QA software applications, Q-Pulse is a complete solution that addresses every aspect of the Quality Assurance spectrum. This means that you receive a solution for Document Control, Auditing, CA / PA, Training, Analysis & Improvement (plus more) all within the standard purchase.

If you want any further information on the product, or wish to receive a 30-day evaluation copy, please contact me at bowmanm@gaelquality.com.

Best wishes,

Martin Bowman
Gael Quality International

I have used both the Powerway product and the Q-Pulse system (v4).

Powerway is OK for document management, and their QP9000 product is also pretty good, but it does have it's limitations (see comments above about exporting etc).

Q-Pulse is the product I am using at the moment, and I have to say this is a relatively simple product and it does work quite well for us. We have it hooked up to out e-mail system so that when someone picks up an NC, the system distributes it to the relevant people.

Hopes this helps.

HK
Leeds, UK

I am the Document Control Specialist for a company that produces automotive parts. I also n house training. I use a software from Pilgrim Software located in Tampa, FL (813)915-1663. I currently use the Document Control Software and the Training software. They have several different modules, such as internal audits, supplier focus, internal focus, maintenance and are in the development of several others. I am very impressed with this company. They have an excellent tech support team, and their software prices are very reasonable.
Their web address is www.pilgrimusa.com (http://www.pilgrimusa.com)

Originally posted by Joanne_Walker:
Can any one recommend any effective software for controlling audits, documents etc.. I have been looking at Powerway, WorkBench Professional and Q-Pulse. Any comments would be appreciated.

Joanne, I have been using Q-Pulse for over 3 years now in my own business , as well as implementing it for a large number of clients across a wide range of industry types and company sizes. I would recommend you take the time to look at htis product.

Joanne,

During a 4 day TL 9000 class last week I discovered Control, an Enterprise Management Process software tool. I have seen it working in a few organizations recently. You can learn about and download a free demo from this site:
*** Dead Link Removed ***

Hi Joanne,
I will recommend that you look into a couple of products that Omnex has. Powerway is trying to compete with them, but I am afraid these guys are professionals and are miles or ages ahead.

I was in touch with their Indian office for procurement of these softwares. Maybe you can also contact them.

Regards,
Ron Smith,
Mgmt. Rep.,
Axles Inc.

Just a note: RonSmith is unregistered. I don't know exactly what the occasion is, but today Ron has left 7 messages each of which has been a confirmation of omnex. I wouldn't question this particularly, but with no registration it seems like a lot of love for omnex. I do hope this is not SPAM.

See http://Elsmar.com/ubb/Forum27/HTML/000012.html for info on Q-Pulse.

Marc - regarding SPAM

If it looks like a duck
Quacks like a duck
It must be a duck

Al - I tend to agree with you on this one. You can spend thousands of bucks on software packages for document control - as much as the budget will allow but in-house systems can work.

I used an on-line system for 5 years with minimal problems. All using MS Word, Excel and Access.

The master list was also set up in an Access database which was very suitable and easy to use.

For whatever it may be worth, there's a group discussion dedicated to electronic documents (geared towards FDA compliance) at www.21cfrpart11.com (http://www.21cfrpart11.com) that was just today talking about using Access. It seems that, properly set up, it can also provide good audit trails. I've heard some concerns about security in Access but I'm already talking over my head.

Alf

There is a new one out called OPERAND, supposed to be easy to use and at reasonable cost. Being developed for ISO in modules. You can get a free usuable download at www.reciprocalonline.com

This may be overkill, but I have heard of many companies who try to create there own and wind up not acheiving the objective. Then you have to worry about who will be responsible for it if the creator leaves the company.

I have posted what I know about the different packages on a different forum. I have to admit, I am a bit bias. I worked for ISI for 3 years, but I found a better product in the SCIO software by PLATO-ag.

Regardless of what anyone says, I would do the following:

1. don't listent to anyone else.
2. Define your exact needs and goals you wish to accomplish with this software (maybe create a percentage scale and send out RFQ)
3. Identify a budget- Max. cost
4. Determine if you will need to purchase a server and incorporate that into the cost.
5. Request Trial versions or Demos from those companies you are interested in
6. Wether you need it or not, call for technical support. (determine the efficiency of the service and time to answer your questions)


Things the software company will need to know in order to give you an effective cost:

If licenses are concurrent user- how many people will be using the software at one time, How many facilities

If based on seats- How many people will need to have access.

Hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you have any more questions.

Sara,

Excellent advice. Also beware of software applications that run a 3rd party database as the Core part of their program such as Access or FoxPro etc.

Anyone on the Internet can look like a “fortune 500 company”, by putting a pretty face on an Access database or FoxPro program. We found 70% of software companies out there rely on another software company for their program to work. The response time for making customizations or solving support concerns takes too long.

Look for a program that has built the software from the ground up and has an optional Support plan. To not get hooked in for a good initial price and then find you need to spend thousands every other year to get an updated version.

That's just my opinion.

Big-3-Hand-Puppet :bonk:

Regarding Sara Lynn's comments, steps 2 and 3 are critical. Having been on both sides of the software biz (selling and buying), companies generally have a hard time with step 2. Requirements like "Must be easy to use" does absolutely nothing for qualifying a provider. First, its suggestive and second, what software company would not say their product is easy to use.

Sara's step 3 is also critical. I would go so far as to include the yearly maintenance cost into the project budget (and incorporate it into your ROI analysis). ROI's are a MUST. Companies don't buy software like they did before Y2K. Oh, one other thing: justify the project on hard dollars, particularly how it impacts management performance metrics (on-time ship, premium freight, warrantee $). Soft savings don't work anymore.

With respect to Big-3-Hand-Puppet's comment on 3rd party software: I just have to point to the automotive industry. After all GM doesn't make every part you find on that Corvette!

I would NOT recommend software that doesn't utilize standard software components and open standards. As for database, just ask your IT department how much it costs them to support their database installation. In fact many companies have standardized on their database back end as much as they've standardized on a common desktop.

Here's an example: at a major automotive supplier, the internal cost to support a single database (one of many within an installation) is $2000 per year. So being able to leverage IT resources across multiple db's is many times cheaper than staffing up to support an entirely new database installation (worst yet a proprietary one).

In close, I'll say this. When comparing the purchase of software vs. developing it yourself, keep in mind that the cost to support the application internally is 2-3 times greater because the costs cannot be spread out over multiple customers.